Bucks Dog Trainer Choreographs The Fun On Animal Planet's "Puppy Bowl"

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County’s Victoria Schade will be tuning into the “big game” on Super Bowl Sunday, only this one will involve a lot of barking and cute and cuddly puppies.

Schade is the lead animal wrangler for Animal Planet’s hugely popular “Puppy Bowl,” which this year will pit Team Fluff against Team Ruff as adorable puppies “play” football inside Puppy Bowl Stadium for the “Lombarky” Trophy.

“The Super Bowl this year is obviously going to be a big draw. But there’s nothing cuter than puppies having fun together on a football field. It’s the cutest show you could watch,” said Schade, who took part in the taping of this year’s program last October in Glens Falls, New York.

“It’s basically football with puppies. They are scoring touchdowns. We’ll have puppies napping on the field. They play with each other. They give cute little facial expressions. It’s just an adorable spectacle,” she said.

(Animal Planet Puppy Bowl photo)

The mission behind the show, said Schade, is to bring awareness to the adoption and rescue of dogs and puppies.

“The message is foster, rescue, adoption - all the things we can do to get these puppies into wonderful homes,” she said.

More than 120 adoptable puppies from 67 shelters and rescues will be participating in this year’s show, including a number of special needs dogs,” she said. “They are provided by 34 shelters from across the United States.

“There are so many different types of dogs available through the rescue system,” said Schade. “It’s a great way to open peoples’ eyes to the types of dogs that are out there.”

Working behind the scenes on the show, Schade helps pull off what Animal Planet describes as a “fur-tastic battle” that takes place on the grand gridiron of Puppy Bowl Stadium.

"Any of the directed action that we need to capture, 9 times out of 10 I'm the one who is choreographing it and making it happen," said Schade. "And these are untrained animals, mind you. It's not like they are bringing trained, set-wise animals. I'm working with these tiny little puppies who have no clue what’s going on. So I’ll use my tricks of the trade to coax performances from them.”

For example, she said when the game opens they’ll play the National Anthem and viewers will see the animals looking up at the flag.

(Animal Planet Puppy Bowl)

“They are actually looking up at me with my little treats,” she said.

There’s also a scene at the end where two puppies are sitting on either side of the Lombarky Trophy.

“Again, these are untrained puppies so I have to use all of my tricks to get them to sit, stay for a good 30 seconds, which is not easy,” she said.

“Then there’s the starting lineups. Before play begins, they introduce the players to the field and they come running out of this tunnel and there’s dry ice and smoke and it’s very dramatic. And I am kneeling across the field going ‘come to me, come to me.’

“It’s overwhelming because they get to the edge of that tunnel and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh. There are lights and people.’ But then they hear me calling and realize I’ve got treats and it’s a safe place for them to go,” she said. “And they run across the field to me.

“I’m basically on set the entire time,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun. And it’s my favorite week of the year.”

Schade, who has been training dogs for two decades, first got involved with the Puppy Bowl 17 years ago after a cameraman she was working with to create one of her training videos asked if she’d like to get involved in the show.

“That was back before anyone ever heard of the show,” she said. “Today, it’s my claim to fame.”

Schade is also an accomplished writer and author, penning two dog training books, “Bonding with Your Dog” and “Secrets of a Dog Trainer.”

She has also authored four novels, “Life on the Leash,” “Who Rescued Who,” “Lost, Found, and Forever” and “Dog Friendly” with a fifth book to be released in September entitled “Unleashed Holiday.”

Schade draws on her experience with a canine cast to develop her characters. All of her novels include prominent pups that win over the heart.

Longtime Doylestown residents might remember Schade from her 42 East State Street shop. She operated “Life On the Leash” for six years in Doylestown Borough.

She lives in Doylestown with her husband, Tom; her dogs Millie, a smooth Brussels griffon; Olive, a mixed breed dog; and the occasional foster pup.

The Puppy Bowl begins with a pregame program at 1 p.m. followed by the game at 2 p.m. The Puppy Bowl will air on three networks - Animal Planet, TBS and the Discovery Channel - and two streaming platforms - discovery+ and HBO Max.